Boxford car chase ends in head-on collision, injuries

Friday

May 17, 2013 at 12:01 AMMay 17, 2013 at 5:23 PM

A high-speed car chase through Boxford and Topsfield ended in a head-on collision between a Topsfield police SUV and the suspect's car and the suspect hosptialized and a Topsfield police officer treated and released from Beverly Hospital.

Kate Evans

A high-speed car chase starting in Boxford around 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, May 17, led to a head-on collision on Thompson Lane in Topsfield that injured a police officer and also sent the suspect to the hospital.

Michael Klein, 24, of West Wareham, was arrested on a series of charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (motor vehicle) and multiple motor vehicle charges including failure to stop for a police officer and reckless driving.

Klein was driving a dark-colored sedan.

Klein was taken into custody at the Boxford police station, but then was transported to a North Shore hospital where he is currently being evaluated, according to police.

Topsfield Sgt. Rick LeBel was treated and released from Beverly Hospital.

Boxford Police Chief Michael Murphy said that at 1:30 p.m. today, a Boxford police officer reported a vehicle had tried to strike his cruiser. The officer turned his patrol car around and followed the suspect to Topsfield, at which point Topsfield police joined the pursuit.

Topsfield Police Chief Evan Haglund said Officer Shawn Frost and LeBel responded to the Masconomet School area on Washington Street and attempted to put stop sticks down (spike strips used to deflate tires), but the suspect had already evaded them just before they were able to lay them down. At that point one Boxford cruiser and two Topsfield cruisers followed the car until they reached a dead end with a rotary at the end of Thompson Lane off of Surrey Lane.

Two officers cornered the suspect in the rotary, but police charge Klein allegedly drove over the middle of the rotary and collided head-on with the third cruiser with LeBel inside, according to Haglund.

The crash caused airbag deployment and extensive damage to LeBel’s police SUV. Although injured from the crash, LeBel was able to exit his vehicle, chase the fleeing suspect and ultimately apprehend him, along with help from Frost and the third officer.

“Literally it was like some kind of a movie,” said Thompson Lane resident Rick Sherman, who witnessed the whole thing.

Sherman works from home, so during a conference call he heard sirens getting louder and louder until he knew they were approaching his street. He opened the front door and saw a car fly down Thompson Lane while being chased by numerous police cars. He thought for sure the police cornered the car at the rotary, but then he witnessed the collision.

“It was really weird because the guy [Klein] rolled out of his car and started running across my front lawn onto the sidewalk and down the sidewalk,” said Sherman. “All the policemen just immediately jumped out of their cars and chased him down the street.”

Once he was apprehended, Boxford police took Klein into custody and LeBel was transported to Beverly Hospital for his injuries. He was discharged later this afternoon.

“I am so proud of the officers involved, especially Sgt. LeBel, in sustaining a head-on collision like that with air bag deployment and he was still able to exit the vehicle and apprehend the suspect,” said Haglund.

The Topsfield police are charging Klein with assault and battery with a deadly weapon and texting while driving, and Haglund said there would definitely be other charges filed.

Boxford police are charging Klein with assault by means of a dangerous weapon (a motor vehicle), failure to stop for a police officer and reckless driving. Murphy expects more charges will be filed.

State police were also at the scene doing an accident reconstruction.

Murphy said Klein will be arraigned at Haverhill District Court on Monday, unless his injuries prevent him from appearing.